Guide for Proposers Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects: Interoperable Crossborder Electric Mobility 4 th Call

Transcription

1 Guide for Proposers Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects: Interoperable Crossborder Electric Mobility 4 th Call A funding programme of the Climate and Energy Fund of the Austrian Federal Government Vienna, June 2012

2 Contents Preface 3 01 Key items at a glance Type of instrument forming the subject of the call Call volume and schedule Application forms and language Information and advice Process and project evaluation Relationship/interaction with relevant instruments and projects 5 02 Orientation and objectives of the programme Starting situation Vision and objectives Orientation of programme Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects 8 03 Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects: 9 Interoperable Crossborder Electric Mobility 3.1 Strategic focus of the Fourth Call Content-related focus of the Fourth Call Administrative information Call documents Entitlement to submission and eligibility for funding Legal basis Submission and coordination between the funding agencies FFG and KPC Additional funding of investment costs via KPC Eligible costs Level of funding Contact Programme mandate Programme management Funding agency for investment projects 17 Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects is the research and demonstration programme of the Climate and Energy Fund in the field of sustainable mobility and energy supply. It takes into consideration the special strategic concerns and key areas of the Climate and Energy Fund. The Fourth Call entitled Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects - Interoperable Crossborder Electric Mobility is aimed at the supplementation, networking and functional bundling of successful ongoing and new activities and projects planned in Austria with international activities designed to complement each other and working towards the gradual launch of electric mobility throughout the Austrian market. The emphasis here falls on the development and implementation of user-oriented and technically functional systems and services for e-mobility offerings and services based on the flagship concept of Making electric mobility an everyday experience visible both in and outside Austria. This call complies with item of the annual programme of the Climate and Energy Fund. 2

3 Preface The Climate and Energy Fund has supported electric mobility in Austria since Since then numerous projects and initiatives have been undertaken. Nevertheless much more research and development is needed in this area for the future. Therefore the Climate and Energy Fund will continue its successful Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects programme for So far there have been three calls for flagship projects, from which seven projects have emerged. They all deal with issues associated with vehicles, infrastructure and users and are closely linked to the Model Regions of Electric Mobility of the Climate and Energy Fund. Research meets practice is the motto that describes the intensive exchange from which valuable findings result, all parties benefit and the overall development of e-mobility is boosted further in Austria. The aim of the Fourth Call is to look beyond national borders. The e-mobility system of the future must not be limited to Austria. It is therefore important to develop solutions that not only enable a sustainable, intermodal electric mobility within Austria but also allow for crossborder environmentally-friendly mobility. Against this background, the Fourth Call encourages the increased involvement of foreign project partners. Furthermore, in this year s call new approaches and the interlinkage with already existing e-mobility initiatives are addressed. The focus of the Fourth Call is the next logical step in the development of electric mobility both within and outside of Austria and is incorporated in the overall strategy of the Climate and Energy Fund, as in previous years. We cordially invite you to submit your innovative project and help shape Austria s electric mobility future. Theresia Vogel General Manager, Climate and Energy Fund Ingmar Höbarth General Manager, Climate and Energy Fund 3

4 01 Key items at a glance The Climate and Energy Fund supports technology and implementation-oriented flagship projects in the field of electric mobility in Austria aimed at the integration of user-, infrastructure-, and vehiclerelated components, systems and services designed to complement each other to create an integrated electric mobility system. The Fourth Call focuses on the supplementation, networking and bundling of promising or successful activities and projects in Austria, in addition to ensuring crossborder functionality for Austrian solutions. The previous calls have revolved around the following thematic areas vehicles, users, infrastructure. These thematic areas are kept, and two aspects, which will be the subject of special attention during evaluation of the project proposals, have been added in the framework of the Fourth Call: The increased involvement of foreign project partners in the consortium, who play a central role in foreign electric mobility projects and initiatives, is designed to make a major contribution to the crossborder interoperability of electric mobility offerings and services and to the linking of projects and initiatives. Greater emphasis is to be given to supplementing R&D activities in the fields of vehicles, charging/refuelling infrastructure as well as additional reservation, booking and billing systems relevant to electric mobility in Austria by including appropriate demonstration and implementation elements in the projects. Submitted projects must address at least two of the three thematic areas. There is an explicit wish for the involvement of foreign partners in the project consortium, and they may be funded. The funding of foreign partners is possible: where such foreign partners are involved in at least one research or implementation project dealing with the issue of electric mobility in their native country (member of an industrial or project consortium), and where the prerequisites specified in the Guidelines for flagship projects are satisfied. According to the flagship concept of Making electric mobility an everyday experience visible both in and outside Austria, the 4th call invites tenders for large-scale projects (funding min. euro 2.0 million) which will engender crossborder electric mobility offerings and ensure their existence in structural terms beyond the term of the project in a sustainable manner. 1.1 Type of instrument forming the subject of the call Only Flagship Projects of Experimental Development are eligible for funding within the framework of the Fourth Call. 4

5 1.2 Call volume and schedule Funding of euro 5 million is available for the call. Two projects with crossborder elements can be initiated in the framework of the current Fourth Call Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects Interoperable Crossborder Electric Mobility. The Fourth Call is open from to Full applications must be submitted no later than: , 12:00 noon to the FFG via ecall, Austrian Research Promotion Agency (Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft, FFG), Thematic Programmes Division Sensengasse 1, A-1090 Vienna As technical problems can never be ruled out just before expiry of the submission deadline, you are urged not to submit your application in the last 24 hours. It is essential to register beforehand on the homepage of the Climate and Energy Fund to obtain a project number from the Climate and Energy Fund ( 1.3 Application forms and language The forms to be found on the homepage of the FFG must be used without fail for your submission: Applications must be submitted in English as assessment will be made by an international (non-german speaking) jury. A German version may be enclosed with your submission but will not be taken into consideration during assessment of the project. 1.4 Information and advice Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) leuchttuerme-e-mobilitaet@ffg.at Obligatory preliminary discussion In order to clarify stipulations and requirements, the submission of a flagship project requires an obligatory preliminary discussion to be conducted with the Climate and Energy Fund and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) at the latest one month prior to the submission deadline. This preliminary discussion will also be attended by AustriaTech ( in an advisory capacity to provide information about integration of the project in the overall transport system and the overall transport programme of the Austrian Government in the framework of the ITS Action Plan. 1.5 Process and project evaluation The project applications submitted will be subject to formal examination by the FFG. The environmentally relevant investment cost element required in the projects will be checked by Kommunalkredit Public Consulting (KPC). The technological aspects and content of the proposal will be evaluated by independent international experts. All persons involved in assessment or present at the jury meeting will be sworn to secrecy regarding the information disclosed to them when fulfilling this function. As part of the project evaluation process applicants will be invited to attend a hearing with the programme committee, consisting of the jury, the office of the Climate and Energy Fund and the funding agencies, the FFG and KPC. The Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) may also take part as an observer. The financial standing (credit rating) of participating companies will also be checked by the FFG s in-house experts. 1.6 Relationship/interaction with relevant instruments and projects Relationship to thematically relevant programmes Funding for research and development projects involving components and parts will be awarded in the framework of the general programmes of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) or for thematically specific cooperation projects under the FFG s Thematic Programmes. Additional thematically focused cooperation projects aimed at reducing emissions and optimising/increasing the efficiency of conventional vehicle technology may 5

6 receive funding from the Climate and Energy Fund via the calls entitled Energy-Efficient Vehicle Technologies. Funding is available for energy research and technology under the E!MISSION programme, and for implementation measures for intelligent overall transport systems through the programme Innovations for Green and Efficient Mobility Implementation Measures from the ITS Action Plan. These topics thus do not form the focus of the present call. Relationship with projects relevant to overall transport in Austria The projects submitted must guarantee interoperability with relevant solutions and systems from national mobility and electric mobility initiatives (e.g. ITS Action Plan), intelligent and cooperation projects in the field of mobility and transport (e.g. Graph Integration Platform - GIP, Traffic Information Austria - VAO) as well as model regions and electric mobility flagship projects. An implementation-oriented exchange of information between projects will be expected and also supported by the Climate and Energy Fund by programme- and project-related advisory committees. As far as topics related to the ITS Action Plan are concerned, AustriaTech will be involved by the BMVIT according to its function and responsibilites as a monitoring agency. Relationship with calls Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects and Model Region of Electric Mobility While the call Model Region of Electric Mobility makes technologies on the market available to a wider public by means of business and usage models, the call Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects combines the development of Austrian technology not yet ready for the market with the implementation and testing of user-oriented systemic solutions for new electric mobility offerings. To guarantee linking and networking as well as interoperability of the various solutions and systems between existing and new flagship projects, model regions or other electric mobility initiatives, cooperation between projects and players is recommended. 6

7 02 Orientation and objectives of the programme 2.1 Starting situation Technological advances in the automotive industry show a clear trend towards gradual electrification of the powertrain. Most car manufacturers have research programmes aimed at developing technologies to make mobility more sustainable in future. Existing and emerging components suppliers are adapting to come up with novel solutions, while public transport operators are working on new additional mobility services. The power supply companies are rethinking their traditional role and developing innovative infrastructure and business models. To sum up, many new and traditional players are devoting a sizeable part of their research budgets to technological and systemic innovations. There are also a number of very promising research approaches and initiatives at an international level. In Austria these activities have been supported in recent years with various funding programmes offered by the Climate and Energy Fund and the BMVIT. This has given rise to numerous projects and initiatives which revolve around this issue. 2.2 Vision and objectives The vision is the implementation of an attractive interoperable crossborder electric mobility offering. Development and demonstration projects in Austria and Europe have already resulted in initial functional prototype modules as possible solutions for use in vehicles and infrastructures. The plan is now to interlink such ongoing projects and new initiatives across national borders and take advantage of potential synergies. Solutions which haven proven to be successful have to undergo further development and have to be complemented by innovations for technical and organisational aspects which have not been covered by previous projects. Interoperability, as the capability for (optimum) interaction between different systems, techniques or organisations, is of special importance, particularly in the new emerging sector of electric mobility. The development and implementation of cooperative technologies on the one hand and compliance with common rules and standards on the other is necessary to ensure attractive intermodal electric mobility offerings as well as functional networks. The objective is thus to build up interoperable crossborder technical systems between vehicles and transport/energy infrastructures which are based on and complement existing Austrian developments. The plan is firstly to technically solve and speed up the national establishment of common minimum requirements and functionalities for vehicles, charging stations and mobility information systems and secondly to take account of European/ international solutions and standards at the same time by means of crossborder cooperation and project alliances. Austrian technology should demonstrate here that it offers realistic, practical solutions for everyday usage both inside and outside Austria, so helping to strengthen the components suppliers in the context of Austria s industrial landscape and thus creating and protecting jobs. Areas of possible interest might involve new ICT, vehicle and charg- 7

8 ing solutions as well as mobility infrastructures, which represent a major step towards making new interoperable crossborder electric mobility services ready for market. 2.3 Orientation of programme Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects Through the development and use of innovative technologies the Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects funding programme aims to help improve the efficiency of the transport system, to drive forward interoperable electric mobility offerings and to contribute to reducing energy consumption to achieve a positive environmental impact in a sustainable manner. This is based on the results and experiences of thematically relevant national, transnational and European R&D calls (e.g. A3plus, ways2go, New Energies 2020, ERA-Net Transport, the EU s 6th and 7th Framework Programme for Research) and takes into consideration the special concerns and key areas of the Climate and Energy Fund. The programme revolves around three fundamental medium and long-term goals as described below: (1) Efficient use of energy Electric vehicles are significantly more efficient than conventional vehicles due to the higher efficiency of the powertrain. This involves a number of key aspects such as the reduction of conversion losses from the electricity grid to the storage system and motor. Attention also needs to be paid to ensuring the efficient use of energy and resources (life cycle costs) when it comes to manufacture and recycling of technologies. Maximum savings in consumption can be achieved by avoiding journeys or shortening the distances travelled with new mobility models and by stepping up the use of energyefficient powertrains (e.g. hybrid, battery and fuelcell electric vehicles). (2) Intelligent energy and transport systems Smart solutions for energy and transport systems can contribute to aligning supply and demand, so helping to avoid excess capacity and permitting the integration of renewable energy. Supply and demand can be influenced by linking them with the information medium of price using information and communication systems. It is essential to develop intelligent solutions which go beyond system boundaries, not only for power generation and distribution but also for vehicles and mobility infrastructures. Reservation, booking and billing systems as well as vehicle to grid solutions which use smart meter and smart billing applications are a classic example of this. (3) Renewable energy Both using renewable energy sources for electric mobility and improving the efficiency of the energy and transport system help cut emission levels of greenhouse gases and airborne pollutants. Electricity from volatile renewable energy sources can be held in central and decentralised systems and temporarily stored by various energy carriers such as mobile traction batteries or hydrogen and thus offers many new applications. Renewable energy and electric mobility are set to enter into a symbiotic long-term relationship and strengthen each other thanks to the synergies which can be achieved. For the Climate and Energy Fund the use of renewable energy plays a pivotal role, especially where electric mobility is concerned. 8

9 03 Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects: Interoperable Crossborder Electric Mobility 3.1 Strategic focus of the Fourth Call The establishment of electric mobility in Austria and strengthening of both the Austrian components supplier industry and providers of mobility services call for a many-sided process: technological development, an overall interoperable system concept, communication between vehicles, charging and refuelling facilities, mobility providers and users as well as cooperation with numerous different players. Major progress has been made in all these fields with the first three Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects calls so that the programme can now focus on R&D aimed at additional technologies and systems, the demonstration of its results in practical applications and the linkage with international projects and ongoing endeavours in this field. The Fourth Call therefore offers funding especially for new and further development and the integration of innovative components and parts to create interoperable systems involving vehicles and infrastructure, users and infrastructure, users and vehicles and also various mobility providers, international cooperation and link-up with international projects, R&D activities aimed at developing additional technologies and systems, especially technologies which to date have received little attention, increased demonstration of the resulting technologies and solutions. The Fourth Call asks to link up with existing projects and initiatives, in particular those in foreign countries, in order to establish functionalities and ensure interoperable crossborder electric mobility. In their submissions applicants must make reference to ongoing and planned projects and initiatives and develop a clear concept showing how the new project could complement them and how synergies could be gained through their coordination. Useroriented electric mobility solutions catering for future mobility needs take centre stage here. The previous calls have revolved around the following thematic areas: vehicles, users, infrastructure. These thematic areas are kept and two aspects, which will be the subject of special attention during evaluation of the project proposals, have been added in the framework of the Fourth Call: The increased involvement of foreign project partners in the consortium, who play a central role in foreign electric mobility projects and initiatives, should make a major contribution to the crossborder interoperability of electric mobility offerings and services and to the linking of projects and initiatives. Greater emphasis is to be given to supplementing R&D activities in the fields of vehicles, charging/refuelling infrastructure as well as additional reservation, booking and billing systems relevant to electric mobility in Austria by including appropriate demonstration and implementation elements in the projects. 9

10 Submitted projects must address at least two of the three thematic areas. Applicants are free to select whichever they prefer. The two additional aspects in the project proposals (involvement of foreign partners, higher demonstration and implementation levels in projects) will be important criteria for the assessment of the project proposals by the jury. The structure of projects might thus be illustrated as follows: Electric mobility outside Austria European and international R&D and implementation partners wanted in the project! European and international R&D and implementation partners wanted in the project! Foreign projects Users (interoperable mobility offerings) Vehicles (single/double-track vehicles, partially and fully electrified) Projects must address two out of the three topic areas Electric mobility inside Austria Infrastructure (charging, reserving, booking, billing etc.) Foreign projects European and international R&D and implementation partners wanted in the project! To facilitate the involvement of foreign partners in the projects, they may also be eligible for funding within the Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects programme under certain conditions. At the same time funding may be available in the framework of the programme for the R&D and demonstration elements of the approved project submissions: Funding within the RTD guidlines regime is possible for research and development activities performed by Austrian consortium members and foreign partners (subject to certain conditions), regardless of whether this work is carried out in Austria or abroad. Funding is available to both Austrian and foreign project partners for demonstration facilities under the UFI guidelines as long as demonstration takes place in Austria. Funding of demonstration facilities based abroad is not possible due to legal provisions. As early as the project planning stage the emphasis must fall on creating and realising a solution which is oriented towards European/international development and take account of potential standardisation and norm trends. The development of an interoperable design of interfaces which can be backed by vehicle manufacturers, mobility providers and energy suppliers should avoid stranded investments and ensure the desired crossborder linkage of e-mobility services. An appropriate strategy must be shown in the project application, also describing how the applicant will respond to developments occurring in the course of the project. Where a project focuses on the needs of customers and users, national or European mobility providers or fleet owners or transport and infrastructure operators must be incorporated in the project without fail. In this case applicants must submit at least one cooperation agreement with a partner in the form of a LOI or MoU. 10

11 One key criterion for assessing the projects submitted will be the extent to which applicants succeed in their projects in using new individual system components to create an open, interoperable electric mobility system (i.e. no proprietary solutions) according to the flagship concept. They will also be required to take into account results and findings from existing/ongoing R&D projects and approaches and subject them to further development. 3.2 Content-related focus of the Fourth Call Submitted projects must address at least two of the three thematic areas (Vehicles, Infrastructure and Users) Vehicle(s) Current trends in vehicle manufacture are clearly pointing towards the diversification of powertrain engineering. To exploit the special opportunities offered by electric mobility and to deal with the challenges presented by costs, energy density, weight and lifetime of batteries, the focus of the 2012 call in terms of vehicles is the further development and vehicle integration of energy-efficient components and systems for all electric vehicles and classes of vehicle. Subject of call: Development and integration of vehicle components in the single or double-track, partially or fully electrified vehicle to be developed (BEV, PHEV, HEV, REEV/REX, FCHEV) of all classes of vehicle (bicycles, automobiles, coaches/buses, light and heavy utility vehicles, off-road and municipal special-purpose vehicles) for private and commercial applications; Development of on-board components for energy-efficient charging and refuelling systems as well as storage technologies for electric, chemical and mechanical energy optimised in terms of performance, energy and cost, in particular for electricity and hydrogen; Further development to reduce the weight of the complete vehicle; Further development, system optimisation and vehicle integration of components and parts to improve energy efficiency and safety; Further development of comfort systems (e.g. heating and air conditioning) as well as energy management; Development of components and systems for new manufacturer-independent electric mobility options such as e-car sharing and e-fleet sharing Users user-oriented electric mobility The goal here is the development and integration of technical and organisational solutions for crossborder intermodal electric mobility offerings and services to enable the integrated use of single and multitrack vehicles in combination with public transport going beyond regional and national borders. Submissions may focus on promising user groups, vehicle classes and application. Subject of call: Development of systems for the fleet management of electric vehicles; for multiple fleet use by different companies (limited vehicle usage); for the use of electric vehicles as part of a vehicle pool by companies and private individuals (open vehicle usage); Development and integration of interoperable mobility information, e-mobility offerings and electric mobility billing by transport service providers and operators in a functional system environment using linked ICT systems; Development of tools to predict mobility and behaviour and timetable management; Development of additional e-mobilityrelevant services for booking, reserving and billing considering current trends of overall transport systems; Development and integration of organisational concepts and technical systems for a mobility offering with electric vehicles based on userspecific intelligent incentives for urban and rural regions. Conception and implementation of combined mobility offerings with the additional usage characteristics of hybrid, range-extender, plug-in hybrid, fuel-cell and battery vehicles; Development of compensation algorithms for user-oriented mobility offerings with electric vehicles; Increased use of electric vehicles 11

12 belonging to all vehicle classes and applications, e.g. urban logistics, taxi/ commuter applications, in combination with public transport Infrastructure The objective is to make interoperable, crossborder infrastructure available on a long-term basis to provide for transnational electric mobility. The testing of user-oriented charging infrastructure facilities is to take place primarily at the source and target location and in addition to new refuelling infrastructure facilities at busy mobility hubs, preferably also at public transport hubs. Subject of call: Development and construction of innovative application-specific charging and refuelling systems for electricity and hydrogen including billing interfaces; Development and implementation of: charging stations in car parks and private garages equipped with short-term control systems to avoid peaks in charging; fast charging systems at active mobility hubs, preferably at public transport hubs; inductive charging systems for single and double-track vehicles; battery exchange systems solely for single-track vehicles and coaches/buses; Development, construction and system testing of charging and refuelling facilities designed for short-term realisation and providing for medium-term time control with innovative data, communication and billing technologies (incl. definition and set-up of interfaces and communication protocols) to prevent peak charging times; Development and construction of additional reservation, booking and billing infrastructure facilities relevant to e-mobility for testing crossborder interoperable infrastructure systems, designed to supplement national infrastructure already in existence or under development. 12

13 04 Administrative information 4.1 Call documents Projects can only be submitted electronically via ecall using the web address The electronic application has to include the description of the project (project description in pdf) and the cost plan (excel file), which has to be submitted using the ecall upload function. For submissions in the framework of the Flagship Projects call the respective templates have to be used. The conditions of funding, submission procedure and funding criteria are described in the Guidlines for flagship projects. The following overview lists the documents relevant for flagship projects. Overview of call documents funding available for download at: Flagship projects Guidlines for flagship projects, version 1.2 Special provisions KLI.EN Project description for flagship projects Cost plan detailed (per partner) Cost plan cumulated (summary) Cost plan for UFI costs Statutory declaration regarding SME status (if required) 4.2 Entitlement to submission and eligibility for funding Please see the Guidlines for flagship projects for the institutions entitled to make submissions and eligible for funding, as well as for the cooperation requirements. This also lists the prerequisites which must be satisfied by foreign project partners to receive funding. In addition to these criteria, foreign partners are only eligible for funding where they are involved in at least one research or implementation project dealing with the issue of electric mobility in their native country (member of industrial or project consortium). The funding rates for foreign partners are lower than those for Austrian partners (see 4.7 Amount of funding). This allows such partners to apply for funding in their own country in addition to the grant offered by the Climate and Energy Fund up to the maximum amount permitted by the EU regulations. So they can take advantage of funding initiatives in their country with the project submitted (take care of maximum funding rates of EU rules on state aid!). Concerning RTD costs, it is recommended that foreign project partners should account for at least 5% of the project s total funding, and they must not account for more than 20% of the project s total funding amount according to the Guidlines for flagship projects. Table 4.1 Cost guidelines, version Legal basis The legal basis for funding of the R&D costs is provided by the guidelines for the funding of economic/technical research and technological development (RTD guidelines) according to 11 items

14 of the Forschungs- und Technologieförderungsgesetzes (FTFG - Research and Technology Funding Act) issued by the Austrian Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology dated (ref. no. BMVIT /0011-III/I2/2007) and the Austrian Minister for Economy and Labour dated (ref. no. BMWA /0002-C1/9/2007) ( As regards company size the applicable definition of an SME according to EU competition law shall decide (from : SME definition according to Commission recommendation 2003/361/EC dated 6 May 2003 (Official Journal L 124 dated p ). All EU regulations shall apply in the last amended version. Investment costs for demonstration facilities will be funded on the basis of the guidelines for environmental aid in Austria in line with Austria s Environmental Aid Act (Federal Law Gazette No. 185/1993) in the last amended version. This Guide for Proposers is published both in German and English, whereby in case of doubt the English version shall prevail. 4.4 Submission and coordination between the funding agencies FFG and KPC The programme is implemented by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and Kommunalkredit Public Consulting GmbH (KPC) on behalf of the Climate and Energy Fund. Research activities will be funded via FFG, whereas investment for demonstration facilities will be funded via KPC under the 2009 funding guidelines for environmental aid in Austria. Applications must be submitted to the FFG via ecall in the form of a funding application for flagship projects belonging to the research category of Experimental Development. It is essential to register beforehand on the homepage of the Climate and Energy Fund ( The share of funding according to the guidelines for environmental aid in Austria, which will be determined by KPC, will be automatically coordinated between the funding agencies. If necessary, applicants will be asked to submit further information by the relevant agency. In the case of additional funding for investment costs by KPC, two funding agreements will be drawn up: funding agreement with FFG for R&D-relevant costs funding agreement with Kommunalkredit Public Consulting GmbH for investment costs. Where interfaces exist with issues of the ITS Action Plan in the framework of projects and programme activities, AustriaTech will be consulted in an advisory capacity by the Climate and Energy Fund if necessary. 4.5 Additional funding of investment costs via KPC In addition to the project description for the R&D element of the project, details have to be provided regarding the planned demonstration element, which has applied for funding from KPC (plant costs, broken down by trade/item; erection costs; planning costs; capitalised own performance). In this case a cost schedule, which is separately available for the environmentally relevant additional investment, has to be submitted via ecall. These additional specifications will help KPC to make a technical evaluation of the demonstration facility and assess its anticipated environmental impact. Examination of the funding prerequisites and preparation of a funding proposal for the investment cost will be carried out by KPC s experts. Demonstration facilities included in the application for funding under the Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects programme, must be of major importance for the research project described in the submission. Likewise, the research and development work must be the prerequisite for investment. A grant will be available for the share of the investment costs incurred in direct conjunction with attainment of the environmental impact (environmentally relevant additional investment costs). No funding can be provided for costs which are not at all or not directly associated with the environmental impact of the project. 14

15 Such environmental impact (reduction in energy consumption, innovative method for provision of renewable energy, decrease in noise, waste or air emissions) is an essential prerequisite for funding. It is necessary to provide a verifiable and quantitative prediction of this environmental impact in comparison either with the current situation or with a reference plant offering the same performance with conventional technology. The feasibility and market potential of the project has to be described, and a forecast of the costs of the demonstration facility also included. Hourly calculation is required in the case of own performance, and quotations are necessary for third-party services. A calculation of profitability showing operating costs and profits must be drawn up. If the environmental impact and the costs of a demonstration facility are not yet available at the time of submission, funding will not be available under the Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Project programme. Subsequent application to other funding programmes and funding agencies (promotion of economic development AWS; environmental funding KPC) is possible, but subject to the relevant conditions for funding. 4.6 Eligible costs Under the Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects programme only flagship projects belonging to the research category of Experimental Development will be eligible for funding. For eligible costs please refer to the cost guidelines for the accounting of project costs in funding applications and reports on projects based on funding agreements according to the FTE-Richtlinien and FFG- Richtlinien ( Any additional funding of investments for demonstration facilities is subject to the provisions for environmental aid in Austria. The following diagram illustrates delimitation of the eligible costs: Experimental development FFG Demonstration facility KPC Austrian Electric Mobility Flagship Projects Experimental development is understood to refer to the acquisition, combination, forming and application of available scientific, technical, financial and other relevant knowledge and skills to draw up plans and provisions or concepts for new, modified or improved products, processes or services. This also includes for example other activities required for the definition, planning and documentation of new products, processes or services and the creation of designs, drawings, plans and other documents where not intended for commercial purposes. Highly innovative demonstration projects which are directly associated with the R&D project. Implementation entails a high level of risk. The demonstration facility is based on the research work, with the anticipated environmental impact being predictable. Investments which are directly necessary to achieve this environmental impact are eligible for funding. Table 4.2 Further information about environmental aid is available at:

16 4.7 Amount of funding The amount of funding will depend on the costs eligible for funding based on the RTD guidelines for the R&D element of the project as well as the funding guidelines for environmental aid in Austria for the investment element. Funding rate for the R&D element for Austrian project partners: Small enterprises Medium-sized enterprises Large enterprises Research facilities Max. funding quota 60% 50% 35% 60% Table 4.3 Funding rate for the R&D element for foreign project partners: Small enterprises Medium-sized enterprises Large enterprises Research facilities Max. funding quota 50% 40% 25% 50% Table 4.4 Funding rate for the investment element: According to the funding guidelines for environmental aid in Austria the following applies: funding is available for investment costs up to 40% of the environmentally relevant additional investment costs, but never for more than 30% of the environmentally relevant investment costs. Fact box for investment element Form of project Suggested term of project Max. funding for environmentally relevant additional investment costs (KPC Environmental Aid in Austria ) Eligible costs Table 4.5 Only cooperative projects 3 years Max. 40% of the environmentally relevant additional investment costs, but never more than 30% of the environmentally relevant investment costs Investments as defined by the guidelines Environmental aid in Austria are those which are related to companies transport measures and local facilities and in particular comprise means of transport, machinery and equipment, services such as construction work, erection and planning services. 16

17 05 Contact 5.1 Programme mandate Climate and Energy Fund (Klima- und Energiefonds) Gumpendorfer Straße 5/22, A-1060 Vienna Contact and advice Gernot Wörther Tel.: Mobile: Fax: gernot.woerther@klimafonds.gv.at Programme management Austrian Research Promotion Agency (Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft - FFG) Thematic Programmes Division Sensengasse 1, A-1090 Vienna Queries about cost planning and financial reporting should be addressed to: Martina Jilka Tel.: martina.jilka@ffg.at Cordula Strauß Tel.: cordula.strauss@ffg.at 5.3 Funding agency for investment costs Kommunalkredit Public Consulting GmbH Türkenstrasse 9, A-1092 Vienna Contact and advice Wolfgang Löffler Tel.: w.loeffler@kommunalkredit.at Contact and advice Ralph Feichtinger Tel.: Fax: ralph.feichtinger@ffg.at Thomas Uitz Tel.: Fax: thomas.uitz@ffg.at Andreas Geisler Tel.: Fax: andreas.geisler@ffg.at 17

18 Legal notice: Owner, publisher and media owner: Climate and Energy Fund Gumpendorfer Str. 5/22, A-1060 Vienna Design: ZS communication + art GmbH Programme management: Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) Sensengasse 1, A-1090 Vienna Place of production: Vienna, June